Sparks Flying
by Pit Viper of Doom
Summary: There is no harmony in hate. A spark of love once ignited them, and now a spark of hatred and jealousy will ignite a terrible war. Truth will be questioned, kindness threatened, laughter stifled, generosity strained, loyalty tried. Friendships tested.
1. Overture

It wasn't a throne so much as a raised platform of stone in the middle of a vast chamber. The walls of the subterranean hall formed an almost perfectly smooth cone shape. Above them shone the pale moon, nearly full, through a round hole at the peak of the chamber. Once, the hall had been a sea of fire and glowing stone that spat smoke, noxious gas, and flames into the sky far above. But the volcano had been dead a long time, for as long as the realm of griffins had existed.

A single figure perched regally on the platform, deadly talons scraping the rock. Another, smaller form reclined next to the dais, eyes narrowed. Behind them, the sparse light reflected off the burnished helmets and armor of a trio of silent, grim-faced guards. Something very small and very frightened cowered and trembled at their feet.

Before the dais stood a lone creature, moonlight touching his gray fur and feathers. Amber eyes glinted rebelliously, and a curved beak flashed as he spoke.

"Sire, I must disagree." The tone was respectful but firm. "I cannot… nobird could possibly consider this anything _remotely_ resembling a good idea."

Perhaps not so respectful.

The defiant griffin met the eyes of his superior squarely as the latter shifted and fluttered his wings. "You call me Sire, but really, what am I? We have lived in Equestria's shadow for generations, leeching off their sun and moon like… like common parasites. Perhaps my predecessors were satisfied with this, but I, for one, am not."

"The treaty has kept both our kingdoms running for over a thousand years!" the gray griffin argued.

"No, Silvertinge, it has kept _their_ kingdom running!" the king retorted, eyes flashing. "We have been victim to violent storms and droughts, while they cover the sun, bring rain, or chase away the clouds at their own leisure! We see the sun and moon when those princesses see fit! I am sick and tired of living at the mercy of the wild elements while those self-serving ponies keep their weather secrets to themselves!"

Silvertinge lowered his voice to a more reasonable tone. "Sire. We are not ponies. We do not—cannot—share in that power. But that doesn't mean they can't still share it. If we could just… _change_ the treaty, ask for their pegasi to help us with the weather—"

"We will learn to share in that power," the king snapped. "And I will not see this kingdom at the mercy of those ponies any more than it already is. It's bad enough that we must rely on their sun and their moon… but no longer. We must have that power for ourselves if we are to thrive."

"Is war the only option?" Silvertinge asked wearily, knowing what his king's answer would be.

"I want control of nature, and the ponies will never give that up," the king replied firmly. "I want fertile land, not these barren mountains we live in. But it is mostly the magic that we need. My father died a fortnight ago, and I am forced to assume the throne decades early, because we lack that power." His tone brooked no argument, and indicated that the discussion was over.

The gray griffin bowed his head. "My heart breaks for your loss, Buteo. He was a good ruler."

"I will be ten times the king he was," King Buteo told him. "I will see Felavia into a Golden age. Now go."

Bending his raptor legs in a bow, Silvertinge turned and padded out, his tail down.

The griffin next to the dais smirked. "You told him, bro."

The king spared his younger sister a fond glance. "I only want what's best for us all," he said. "I'm glad you support me. I remembered how you came home from that pegasuscampFathersent you to, raving about your new Equestrian friend, and I was worried you might be biased in their favor."

His sister scowled. "Nah, screw 'em." Nobird ever had been able to clean up her language, or her mannerisms, after the time she had spent at Junior Speedster Flight Camp. Their father had hoped that her attendance might strengthen relations with Equestria, but that no longer mattered. "They were all losers from the start, and the one I thought wasn't a loser just turned out to be a backstabbing bitch." She stood up, flapping her wings lazily as she glanced back at the guards and their small captive. "So what's he here for?"

The young king was about to reply when a sentry at the chamber entrance called out. "King Buteo, your guest has arrived!"

Both royal griffins looked up as the cloaked newcomer entered the room at a sedate pace, her eyes grim. The king's sister raised a feathery eyebrow.

"Seriously, bro? A unicorn? Weren't you all Equestria-must-die just five seconds ago?"

The pony glanced haughtily at the female griffin before turning to the king and bowing.

"Have you agreed to my terms?" Buteo asked simply.

The mare nodded. "Yes. I will spy for you and help you in your campaign with my magic if you help me. I swear it on my horn." The horn in question glowed and sparked.

Smiling, the king stood up. "Good. Very good. As a token of my good will, I have a gift for you. Guards?"

The three griffins behind him stepped around the platform, herding their unwilling prisoner forward. He resisted, shaking and protesting weakly, until one of them simply grabbed him by the arm and flung him before the unicorn mare. Her eyes widened with cold delight.

The prisoner, a small baby dragon with cobalt-blue scales and dark red spikes, stared up at her in wide-eyed terror. A high whimper escaped from his mouth as the unicorn loomed over him. She looked to the king.

"Where did you get him?"

"Yesterday, when I received your message that you were coming, I had some of my warriors raid a dragon's nest on a covert mission in Equestria," Buteo replied. "Every powerful mage must have a servant. The Sun Princess's own protégé has one, so why shouldn't you?"

"Thank you, King Buteo," the pony said, bowing again. She turned to fix the baby dragon with a cold look. "You, what's your name?"

The dragon jumped. "M-M-Midnight," he stammered, his voice high and wavering. "P-please, miss, I just want to g-go home."

"Will I have an angry mother dragon hunting me for this?" the pony inquired of the king.

"No," Buteo replied flatly. "I assure you. You will not."

Understanding the meaning behind his words, the pony nodded and turned away. "Thank you. You will not be disappointed." To the dragon, she snapped, "Come."

After a moment's hesitation, the little dragon followed her.

Once the pony and her new servant were gone, the young king of griffins settled back on the dais. "War with Equestria," he said grimly. "It will be like nothing those ponies have ever seen. Their greed got our father killed. We have scores to settle, don't you think?"

Gilda grinned at her older brother, her talons scraping the rock in anticipation as she thought of a pale blue face framed by a multicolored mane. "Sure do, bro," she said with a grin. "I can't wait."


	2. First Sorrow

Twilight, as usual, was absorbed in reading a book. She barely spent any of her alone time doing anything but studying. She had to say that history was one of her favorite subjects. Well, no, she also liked science. But then, old literature was a lot of fun, too… oh, well. The bookish unicorn had long since decided that her favorite subject in any case was reading, because reading sort of encompassed them all.

Turning, she fished through the pile of books on the floor and stifled a yawn. It really was late, but her mind still buzzed restlessly. The unicorn frowned; her vigorous studies had resulted in a horrible mess on the library floor, with books piled on top of each other with no sense of order or organization. Spike had been absent all day. Just that morning, he'd left, saying he had to help Fluttershy with something, and when she'd given him the okay, she hadn't realized that whatever the pegasus pony was up to was going to take all day. It was way past his bedtime, and he still wasn't back yet.

"Aha!" Putting thoughts of her dragon assistant to the side, Twilight selected a book from the pile and replaced the one on the stand. "_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, by Newt Scamander." She chuckled. "What a name. Now, let's see…" She turned to the page she'd marked just the week before, before Fluttershy had borrowed it from the library (the kind pony had kept the bookmark in place for her). Her horn glowed, and her quill rose up, dipped into the inkwell, and began to jot down notes as she read.

"The Minotaur," she read aloud. "A ferocious beast of legend. According to old stories, it lived on an island in the southern seas ruled by a tyrannical king, who used its bloodthirsty nature to punish his enemies. Its lair was a deep, subterranean maze of stone, nearly impossible to navigate." In her mind's eyes, Twilight could picture the tunnels of the Diamond Dogs, twisting and turning and branching off every which way. It had been momentarily mind-boggling, she recalled, until resourceful little Spike had remembered the gem spell. "A great hero defeated both the labyrinth and the beast by unwinding a ball of string—" The quill snapped. "Oh, horse apples," Twilight muttered, putting aside the now-useless writing instrument.

A fresh quill dropped onto the book stand in front of her. Smiling, Twilight looked up into her owl friend's feathery brown face. "Thank you, Owlowicious."

_Hoo_. The owl swooped in, noticed the mess on the floor, and gave the unicorn a look.

"Spike's been gone all day," Twilight told him apologetically.

The owl seemed to roll his eyes, but Twilight knew he didn't really; she'd read that owls couldn't move their eyes, after all.

As Owlowicious set about returning books back to their proper shelves, Twilight turned back to her book and raised the new quill. "Let's see… unwinding a ball of string…"

SLAM.

Behind her, the front door was flung open so forcefully that it banged loudly against the wall. Twilight yelped, nearly knocking over the inkwell, while Owlowicious let go of the book in his talons and sent it clattering to the floor. The unicorn whirled around. "Fluttershy? What in the world are you—" She stopped short. The pegasus pony was out of breath, her normally neat mane scruffy and sticking up in some places as it fell over her face. Her flanks looked damp with sweat, her hooves were stained, and the streaks on her face betrayed the fact that she had been crying. What Twilight noticed next was Spike, draped over her friend's back, eyes closed. "Fluttershy, what happened?" Twilight demanded, cantering to her friend's side. "Where have you two been all day? Is Spike—"

"He's asleep," Fluttershy gasped out. "He's okay, just tired, I'm sorry, Twilight, but I… I didn't mean for it to… I need your help."

Twilight's horn glowed, magically lifting the sleeping baby dragon from Fluttershy's back and tucking him into his little bed. Spike stirred restlessly in his sleep, tugging the blankets closer around him. "Anything, Flutter—" Twilight gasped when she turned back to her friend and noticed the stains on her hooves. "Fluttershy! Is that blood?"

The pegasus looked close to tears. "It's—it's not mine… oh, Twilight, it's…" She took a deep breath, as if bracing herself for what she was about to say. "I need to get to Canterlot. Now. I have to talk to the Princesses."

Twilight was taken aback. Here was Fluttershy, one of the most aptly-named ponies Twilight knew, who could barely even introduce herself to somepony she'd never met, standing before her and asking to see the two most powerful ponies in all Equestria.

This and the dried bloodstains on Fluttershy's hooves spurred the unicorn into action. "Okay," she said decisively. "I can take us to the gates, but not into the city proper. There are spells up to prevent that." Linking hooves with Fluttershy, she shut her eyes and concentrated. There was a flash, and the blackness behind her eyelids flared briefly before she opened them.

They stood outside the gates of Canterlot, the city perched on the side of a mountain. A pair of armored pegasi stood at the entrance, stone-faced and stock-still. "Come on," Twilight urged as she cantered toward them.

The pegasi crossed their wings, blocking the entrance. "Halt," one of them rapped out. "State your—"

Twilight pawed the ground impatiently. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia, and this is my friend Fluttershy. We have news for the princesses"

The wings folded, allowing both ponies to enter. Once they were through the gate, they broke into a run, with Twilight galloping in the lead.

"So what happened, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as they raced through the dark, quiet streets.

The pegasus pony was struggling to breathe normally. "Please, Twilight," she said quietly. "I'll tell you when I tell the princesses."

They reached the palace, where they were once more halted by guards. Twilight blurted out hasty introductions, and they were admitted.

The Hall of the Princesses had an oddly shaped ceiling; around the edges it was flat, but the wide center of it formed a high dome, decorated with images skillfully painted around the perfectly round hole at the very top. The base of the dome was lined with engraved brass, the level sections around the dome supported by carved white pillars. Through the opening in the ceiling, the moon could be seen, casting pale light into the hall. The two ponies' hoofbeats on the marble floor echoed.

There was only one other pony in the room. She was dark indigo and purple, her cutie mark a yellow crescent moon. Her crown, nestled in her blue mane, gleamed in the moonlight as she stared up at the silver circle set in the night sky.

She looked down, surprised, as Twilight and Fluttershy entered. "Twilight Sparkle," she said, sounding surprised. "My sister is up in her study, if you're looking for her."

"Actually, Princess Luna," Twilight panted, winded from her run through the city. "We're looking for both of you. My friend, Fluttershy, needs to speak with you."

The moon princess blinked. "All right. One moment." Her horn glowed briefly, and in a matter of moments the sound of wing beats reached them.

Celestia swooped down through the hole in the ceiling and landed lightly on the marble floor. "Twilight Sparkle?" she said, smiling. "And Fluttershy. What brings—is everything alright?"

"Fluttershy needs to speak with you," the unicorn explained. "Both of you."

Nervously, the bedraggled pegasus stepped forward. "Um… I…" She closed her eyes, steeling herself. "A while ago, we had to get rid of a dragon…" She hesitated, momentarily losing her nerve.

"I remember that," Celestia prompted her encouragingly. "Twilight sent me a report about it."

"Oh. Well, yesterday morning, I saw—I saw smoke again." Twilight's eyes widened at this, but she didn't interrupt. "But it was only a little smoke, not like it was then. So I—" Her breath caught, and she seemed to struggle to control her own voice. Twilight stepped closer, giving her a reassuring nudge on the shoulder.

"It's all right, Fluttershy," Celestia reassured her. "Take your time." The princess's words seemed to bolster the yellow pegasus's confidence, and she swallowed hard.

"So I went to see what it was," Fluttershy went on quietly. "Not—not alone," she added, seeing Twilight's alarm. "Spike came with me. That's why he was with me when I came to you in the library, Twilight. So we went up the mountain, and into the cave, and we… we… there was…" Her voice broke, but she shut her eyes and forged ahead, as though speaking brought her physical pain. "There was a dragon there. A big, grown-up dragon, and it—she—was hurt. She was hurt really bad, and she was so scared, and I tried to help her, I really did! I did everything I could, and Spike helped me even though he was scared too." The pegasus pony sobbed, hanging her head. "I tried so hard…"

"Oh, Fluttershy…" Twilight breathed, resting a foreleg over her friend's shoulders.

Celestia stepped forward then, lifting Fluttershy's chin with her hoof. "I know you tried your hardest, Fluttershy. I wouldn't expect any less from a kind-hearted pony like you."

"Tha-that's not all," Fluttershy choked out. "Something attacked her, Princess. She told me, before she… that she was there because—because she couldn't find her baby. But… but something _attacked_ her, Princess. Something attacked a mother dragon, and they _killed_ her. A _dragon_. That's why I had to tell you, because…" Her voice trailed off.

Only a widening of the eyes betrayed the princess's alarm before she turned to Luna. The younger sister's face was a mixture of shock, horror, and the most terrible anger Twilight had ever seen on any pony.

"Did she tell you anything else?" the moon princess asked, maintaining her composure admirably.

"Birds," Fluttershy answered quietly. "She says birds invaded her home, and she told her baby to run and hide, but when they were gone, she couldn't find him." She was quiet for another long moment. "She asked me if I had seen him, and then she just… died." The tears were spent, and Fluttershy wiped her eyes. Twilight hugged her, wishing she could do more.

The sisters exchanged glances, matching each other's resolution. "I'm glad you came to us with this," said Luna, turning back to Fluttershy. "A dragon… to think…" The dark pony shuddered slightly. Then, composing herself once more, she turned decisively back to her sister. "I'll lead a pegasus patrol out to investigate, and try and find the young one."

"Good," Celestia answered, nodding approvingly. "We'll need to look into this more. The cities and towns will have to be notified that there's something in Equestria that's capable of bringing down a dragon." She turned to her young protégé. "Twilight, in your studies, have you ever heard of birds that might be able to accomplish this?"

Twilight looked up. "Um… well, thunderbirds are certainly big enough, but they've never had any problems with dragons before. Phoenixes are powerful enough magically, but then, they never kill." The unicorn racked her brain. "Stymphalian birds, maybe. I've never heard of them attacking dragons before, but they are certainly aggressive, and their feathers are sharp enough to pierce scales. Harpies, too." She had a sudden brainwave. "You could always ask the griffins in the Felavian mountains. They know everything there is to know about birds."

Celestia looked thoughtful. "It would be a good opportunity to establish relationships with their new king, as well. That's a good idea, Twilight. I'll pay the griffins a visit right after I raise the sun tomorrow morning." To the two ponies before her, she smiled. "Thank you for bringing this news. Is Spike all right?"

Yes," Fluttershy replied. "Just tired. And sad."

"I can get us back to Ponyville," Twilight offered. Her horn sparked. "I still have a transport spell or two in me."

"Good. Get some sleep, both of you," Luna advised.

Twilight nodded. "The spells around Canterlot are just one-way, right? So I don't have to leave the city to do this?"

"No, you don't," Luna replied. "Have the Mare of Ponyville be on the lookout, will you?"

The unicorn nodded again and reached out to touch Fluttershy's hoof.

"Before you go, Twilight," Celestia broke in quickly. "I've decided. When I see the griffin king tomorrow, I want you with me."

The young unicorn's eyes widened. "M-me? Really?"

"It's short notice, I know," the princess said apologetically. "But I want my trusted student with me for this."

Twilight was momentarily speechless. Her? Go with Princess Celestia on a diplomatic visit to foreign royalty? Unbelievable. "I—of course I will! That would be an honor."

Her mentor smiled. "Good. Get some sleep, then. I'll send a carriage for you in the morning. If Spike is up for it, he may come, too."

The unicorn nodded, shut her eyes, and took Fluttershy back to Ponyville.

* * *

><p>Once she had dropped the pegasus off at her cottage, Twilight flashed back into the library.<p>

_Might as well go to bed_, she thought, looking around. Owlowicious had put all the books back where they belonged, she noted with a grin as she headed up the stairs to her room.

She was just making her way to her bed when a small voice halted her in her tracks.

"Twilight?" It was Spike, standing at the top of the steps. The little dragon looked awful; his eyes were wide and slightly bloodshot, and there were dark circles beneath them.

"Spike?" Twilight took in his appearance, heart twisting with sympathy. "Did I wake you up?"

The dragon shook his head. "No. I was already awake. I…" He looked downward, embarrassed, as he came forward. "I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?"

"Of course. Hey." Twilight met her little assistant halfway to give him a one-forelegged hug. "It's okay, alright? The princesses are gonna find out what happened."

"I hope they do," Spike mumbled. "…You think the baby's okay?"

"Spike, if all baby dragons are anything like you, I think it'll be just fine," Twilight assured him. "Princess Luna will find it, you'll see. Oh, that reminds me, Celestia will be visiting the griffins tomorrow, and she wants to take us along." She paused, letting go of Spike and looking him in the eye. "If you're up for it, of course."

"Of course I'm coming with you," Spike answered, as if it was an obvious fact. "Don't even think about leaving me behind, Twi."

"All right then." Twilight stifled a yawn. "Come on, Spike. Let's get some sleep." The unicorn climbed into bed, suddenly remembering how tired she was as Spike curled up next to her. Her horn glowed briefly, and the lamp turned itself off with a click. Silence fell over the darkened room. Then—

"Hey, Twi?"

"Yeah, Spike?"

"I'm glad you're here."

And that was that.

* * *

><p><strong>Just a note: there will be no shipping in this fic. Aside from the whole Spike-Rarity crush thing, of course. Okay, so no non-canon shipping. Sorry to disappoint.<strong>


	3. The Poor Orphan

Spike was already up by the time Twilight awoke the next morning. The unicorn could smell hot chocolate and smiled as she got out of bed. Good old Spike. He wasn't her number one assistant for nothing.

"Feeling better?" she asked as she trotted down the stairs. Spike was standing in front of the flipchart she'd had out the day before, reading it as he sipped from the mug clasped in his claws. There was another steaming mug on the table by the windowsill; Twilight levitated it to her muzzle and took a sip. As she expected, it was both warm and delicious.

"Yeah, I am," Spike replied, and she could tell from his more positive tone that his mood was indeed looking up. "So what's all this, Twi?"

"Oh, I was testing out some of my magic yesterday," the unicorn answered, joining him. "I found a bunch of new tricks I can do."

The dragon traced over the words with his index claw. "Defensive spells? Wow. Lightning, freezing, energy blast, combu—er, combus…"

"Combustion," Twilight finished for him. "I found I could start fires. Just little ones, though. Nothing big. I couldn't stand up to a full-grown dragon."

"Cool," said Spike. "It must be pretty awesome, having your special talent be magic." He looked up. "Why all the fighting magic, though?"

Twilight shrugged, taking another drink of hot cocoa. "I've just been thinking. Since we first came to Ponyville, I've faced, what? A manticore, a bunch of scary trees, the Mare in the Moon, a swarm of parasprites, an Ursa Minor, two dragons, a hydra, a cockatrice, Diamond Dogs, and a stampeding herd of angry buffalo. Granted, many of those were sorted out peacefully, but still. It would be good for me to know how to defend myself."

Spike was about to reply when somepony knocked on the front door. Setting aside his mug, the dragon went to answer it.

A white pegasus stood on the doorstep, head held high, neck arched proudly. "Twilight Sparkle?" he said as the unicorn joined Spike at the doorway. "Princess Celestia sent us. We're to meet her carriage on the Equestria-Felavia border."

"Of course," Twilight said politely. "Come on, Spike."

As the white pegasus led them out to the small chariot outside the library, a voice hailed them from above. "Heyup, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash swooped down from a cloud overhead and pulled up just short of the ground to hover next to Twilight. "Where you guys going? I thought we were gonna help Applejack with the harvest today."

Twilight mentally kicked herself. In all her excitement, her prior commitment had slipped her mind. "Oh, rats, I completely forgot! This came up really suddenly. Princess Celestia is paying a visit to the griffins and wants me with her." The unicorn looked at her friend a bit guiltily. "I'll probably be gone most of the day. Can you tell Applejack I'm sorry?"

The pegasus looked surprised. "Oh. The… the griffins? I… sure, Twilight. It's okay. I'm sure Applejack'll understand."

"Thanks, Rainbow. Oh, and one more thing." Twilight paused as she was about to climb into the chariot. "Make sure Fluttershy's all right, okay? She was really upset last night."

"Why?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking concerned. "What happened?"

"It's kind of a long story," Twilight replied sheepishly, settling into the chariot with Spike at her side. "She'll tell you. I'll see you later, okay?"

"All right, see ya." Rainbow Dash looked uncertain, as if she desperately wanted to say something.

The chariot lifted off, and within moments Twilight and Spike was level with the clouds. The unicorn swelled with excitement, savoring the feeling of the wind in her mane.

"Hey! Twilight!"

It was Rainbow Dash again, pumping her wings to catch up. The blue pegasus overshot them briefly before dropping next to her friend.

"Twilight, uh… could you do something for me, while you're there?" Rainbow Dash asked awkwardly.

"Sure, what is it?"

"If… if you see Gilda, while you're there…" Rainbow hesitated. "Just… tell her I said hey, okay?" The pegasus raced off again before Twilight could reply.

* * *

><p><em>Whump<em>. Applejack's hooves struck the tree trunk forcefully, sending a shower of apples cascading into the waiting bins. The earth pony had an early start to the day, as she always did in applebucking season. Today was unique, however; Big Macintosh was away in Hitchmond, helping Fritter with the harvest while Bumpkin's broken leg healed. Big Mac could do the work of three ponies, so Applejack had been overjoyed when her friends had agreed to help out. Granny Smith was too frail, and Applebloom was too small, and anyway who knew where her little sister and her Cutie Mark Crusader friends were at this time of day?

A shadow passed overhead—no, a lot of shadows. Confused, Applejack glanced skyward. She gasped.

Up in the sky, in organized formation, was a contingent of pegasi of varying colors. Flying point was Princess Luna herself. As Applejack watched, the pegasi split off into small groups and looked to the moon princess, who seemed to be giving orders.

"Huh," the earth pony muttered to herself. "Well what in the hay is that supposed to be?"

"Ooh! Guessing games! Have I ever mentioned how much I love guessing games?" Bouncing up and down behind her was Pinkie Pie, which was weird because Applejack distinctly remembered locking the gate the night before. "Okay, okay, I think I got it. It's… Princess Luna and a bunch of pegasuses! No wait, pegaseese! Pegases!"

"No kiddin'," Applejack said dryly. "And it's 'pegasi,' Pinkie Pie."

The pink pony giggled. "You rhymed, Applejack! Pegasi, Pinkie Pie! Pegasi, Pinkie Pie!" Her bouncing slowed to keep in time with the chant.

"Applejack!" somepony called, interrupting Pinkie Pie's mantra. The freckled mare looked to the gate, where Rarity stood, wearing a very fashionable-looking straw hat and sunglasses.

"Comin', Rarity!" Applejack answered. She trotted over to the gate, Pinkie leaping along at her heels. She gave them both a wide, freckly grin as she opened the gate for the unicorn. "Thanks a bunch fer comin' to help me, girls."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Applejack," Rarity replied, mincing in gracefully. "Sunlight is _very_ good for the complexion, you know. And nothing perfects the figure like a good day of exercise!" She glanced around. "Are we the only ones here?"

"Looks like it!" Pinkie Pie piped up. "Let's get a head start before the others get here!"

The three of them headed for the apple trees, as overhead the groups of pegasi began to disperse. "I wonder what's going on," Rarity remarked, watching them. "We rarely ever see Princess Luna around at all, much less during the day."

Applejack paused. "Beats they hay outta me, Rarity. I—hey, is that Rainbow Dash 'n' Fluttershy up there?"

"Huh?" Pinkie Pie squeaked. "Hey, you're right, AJ!"

Sure enough, their two winged friends had joined those in the sky, though they weren't following them. Fluttershy was hovering below them, while Rainbow Dash had approached one of the other pegasi and seemed to be talking to him. After a moment, Rainbow Dash rejoined Fluttershy, and the two of them descended toward the farm.

"You two know what's goin' on?" Applejack asked as they lighted down on the ground.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash's eyes were bright. "They're looking for a baby dragon."

"A baby dragon?" Rarity echoed, looking anxious. "Well what's the poor little thing doing on its own?"

"Its mother died," Fluttershy whispered. "I couldn't save her."

Pinkie Pie's eyes were round. "What do you mean, Fluttershy?"

With a sigh, the yellow pegasus related the events of the previous day and night to them. Her voice was even more timid and quiet than it usually was, which was a feat unto itself. None of the other ponies spoke until she was finished.

"Gee, sugarcube," Applejack said softly. "That's awful."

"No wonder Princess Celestia went to see the griffins," Rainbow Dash remarked.

"She what?" said Rarity.

"Oh!" Rainbow Dash shot straight up in the air. "I almost forgot. Princess Celestia took Spike and Twilight to see the griffins. Twilight says she's sorry for not helping, by the way."

"That was Twilight's idea," Fluttershy put in. "She said griffins might know what kind of birds could hurt a dragon like that."

"Guess she won't be helpin' us, then," said Applejack. "You feelin' up to applebuckin', Fluttershy?"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy replied, quiet but emphatic. "It might take my mind off things."

"All righty, then!" Pinkie Pie chirped. "Let's get—"

"Hey! Hey, guys! You won't believe it!"

Applejack groaned. "Criminitly, what now?"

All five ponies turned their heads to see two young colts cantering down the road toward the farm. The smaller one, sporting a cutie mark in the shape of a pair of scissors, was in the lead. Both looked urgent.

"Oh, horse apples," Applejack muttered. "Now we'll never get anythin' done."

"Snips, Snails, whatever do you mean?" Rarity asked, stepping forward as the two colts skidded to a halt before them.

Snips was practically bouncing with excitement. "She's back!"

"Who's back?" Pinkie Pie asked eagerly.

Snails answered her in his slow, slurred voice. "The Great 'n' Powerful—well, I guess it turned out she wasn't so great 'n' powerful, eh?"

"_Trixie_?" Rainbow Dash cried. "Aw, man, what's _she_ doing back?"

"She looks all different, though," Snails informed her, shrugging.

"She says she wants to talk to you!" Snips reported.

Applejack heaved a sigh. "Come on, y'all. Might as well see what she wants. Applebuckin' can wait." The earth pony trotted past the gate and out into the road.

"I'll bet she wants to challenge Twilight to single combat!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly as they followed her. "That would be _so_ _awesome_."

"Really, Rainbow Dash," Rarity scoffed, tossing her mane. "It would be uncouth, is what it would be."

"Well," Fluttershy said timidly. "Maybe like Twilight said, she learned her lesson. Maybe she wants to make things right."

"That would be good of her," said Rarity. "I mean really, she turned my hair _green_." The unicorn shuddered.

Pinkie Pie giggled as the five of them plus the colts trotted into downtown Ponyville. "It looked so weird on you, Rarity."

"Maybe you should've challenged her, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash snickered. "Just pop right out of her hat and say '_foreverrrrrr_.' Like you did to Twilight! That'd scare her off!"

It was early enough that almost no ponies were out and about yet when they reached the Ponyville town square. On the side of the street, in front of a café that hadn't opened yet, a blue unicorn was sitting at a table. The gawdy cloak and peaked hat she had once worn were nowhere to be seen. When she caught sight of them, she fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Hello, Trixie," Rainbow Dash said coolly from her position several feet off the ground.

The unicorn blinked. "H-hello. I—um…" She looked down at her hooves for a moment before glancing to Snips and Snails. "Could I talk to them alone, please?"

Applejack gaped. The Trixie she knew would have haughtily ordered them to leave, not politely asked. Maybe Fluttershy and Snails had been right. Maybe she _was_ different.

After exchanging a brief glance, the colts moved off. Trixie looked to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, embarrassment apparent on her face. "Look, I know you don't have the… _highest_ opinion of me, but… I've thought a lot about what happened with the Ursa Minor." She shook her head, exhaling shortly, a noise that was very nearly an embarrassed laugh. "Your friend, that purple unicorn… she was _amazing_. Simply magnificent. I've been practicing magic since then, but I doubt I'll be as good as she was." The blue unicorn hesitated, still shamefaced. "So… it was wrong of me to say I was better than everypony."

"Well, that's… that's very gracious of you, Miss Trixie," Rarity told her, clearly surprised.

"I acted the foal," the unicorn went on. "And… and I'm sorry my boasting got us all into trouble, that time. It's why I've come back. To… make amends, I suppose."

Two earth ponies, two pegasi, and a unicorn traded astonished looks, nopony knowing quite what to say. It was Rainbow Dash, incidentally, who broke the stunned silence.

"You know what, Trixie?" the pegasus said, hovering and grinning. "You've finally pulled off the feat I never thought you'd work out."

"Apologizing?" Trixie asked.

"Nah," Rainbow Dash answered. "Speaking in the first pony."

Pinkie Pie giggled, and Rarity and Applejack followed suit. Trixie blinked, her eyelid twitched, and she cautiously laughed along with them. Even Fluttershy managed a quiet chuckle.

"So…" Rainbow Dash went on. "Who's your friend there?"

"Huh?" Applejack looked up at the floating pegasus, confused.

"Somepony's hiding behind her," Rainbow Dash explained.

"Oh." Trixie glanced down at whoever it was. "It's alright, you can come out."

Cautiously, a small, dark blue face peeked out from behind Trixie's flank. He looked quite a bit like the dragon they'd confronted on the mountain, only with smaller, more infantile proportions. He was smaller than Spike, with a narrower face and a slender body, and a longer, more whiplike tail that ended in a barbed arrow-shaped spike.

There was a loud, high-pitched gasp, and Fluttershy flew forward. The baby dragon squeaked with fear and vanished behind Trixie again. Fluttershy pulled up short, beating her wings as she motioned for Trixie to move aside. The unicorn got out of her chair and backed away, leaving the dragon exposed. The little creature scrambled to the ground and crouched, petrified, when Fluttershy landed lightly in front of him.

The pegasus knelt low to the ground, bringing herself to the dragon's eye level. "It's all right," she said softly, with the warm, gentle smile she always wore when dealing with baby animals. "It's okay. I won't hurt you, little one. I'm Fluttershy. What's your name?"

The baby dragon stared at her, wide-eyed. "Midnight," he replied in a small voice.

"Oh, that's a lovely name," Fluttershy told him sincerely.

"Wait a minute," Rainbow Dash broke in. "Is that the baby dragon that—"

Behind Midnight's back, Trixie shook her head frantically. Her horn glowed blue with magic, as did the dragon's ears. "Wait," she said. "I found him, in the mountains. Do you know—"

"His mother's dead," Rarity said sadly.

"I was afraid of that," said Trixie, hanging her head. "Please don't tell him. He's still so little…"

Applejack glanced down at the little dragon. Trixie's spell kept him from hearing the conversation, and he was staring up at all of them in bewildered confusion. "Poor li'l fella," the earth pony said sympathetically. "I won't tell him."

"Maybe it would be better to wait until he's old enough to understand," Rarity agreed.

Trixie sighed with relief, extinguishing the glow of her horn. Blinking and rubbing his ears, Midnight turned his attention back to Fluttershy.

"So how old are you, Midnight?" the pegasus pony asked.

The dragon stared at her for a moment before answering. "I'm six," he mumbled. His voice was high-pitched and slightly more timid than Fluttershy's. "Trixie found me in the mountains. I was running from the big birds."

"What did the big birds look like?" Fluttershy asked.

"I've asked him that before," said Trixie. "He doesn't remember, though."

"'M sorry," Midnight whispered.

Fluttershy swept him up in a hug, flapping her wings so she was hovering with the surprised baby dragon in her forelegs. "You have nothing to be sorry for," she assured him. "Poor thing. At least you're safe now."

Applejack cleared her throat. "Well, ya know, thanks for apologizin', Trixie, but we got a flankload o' work to do." She smiled lopsidedly. "Savin' that dragon, that was good o' ya. Real good."

Bouncing up and down, Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly. "Ooh! Maybe if you have time, you could come by and give us a hoof! Applebucking's fun!"

Fluttershy set Midnight gently on the ground. "I'm glad you're alright," the pegasus told him, smiling. "See you later!"

The little dragon mumbled something in reply before retreating back to Trixie's side.

"C'mon, y'all," Applejack called. "Them apples won't buck themselves!"

"Wait a second!" Rainbow Dash cried. "Somepony has to tell Princess Luna that we found Midnight!" She flapped her wings and raced off into the sky, calling back, "Sorry! I'll see you guys later!"

"Hmph," Rarity sniffed. "Rainbow Dash would do anything to get out of helping us pick apples."

"That's our Rainbow Dash," Applejack said fondly. With that, the four ponies cantered off together, heading back to Sweet Apple Acres.

* * *

><p>Trixie waited until they were out of earshot before she snorted with undisguised contempt. "Stupid, brainless foals!" the unicorn spat. The bland, disarming sheepishness on her face was replaced with disdain. "Me, Trixie, helping that little hayseed and her friends sweat and muck about on some filthy farm? The nerve of that little pink <em>bug<em>! The only hoof I'd lend her would be a kick in the teeth!"

Midnight turned his face away from her and bit his lip. "You don't have to be so mean, miss," he muttered. "I think they're nice. Nicer'n _you_."

In the next instant he was flung to the ground at the unicorn's hooves, staring in terror at a pair of furious purple eyes. Trixie planted a hoof on his chest, which suddenly ached from when she'd knocked him down. She glanced around quickly, as if to make sure nopony was watching, before returning her scowl to him.

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it, you whining little rat!" the unicorn snapped. "Those ponies cost me the respect I deserve! I hope you're not thinking of getting attached to them, Midnight, because if everything goes my way, they'll be _out_ of my way. And you're going to help me!"

The little dragon made a valiant attempt to stop his lower lip from trembling. "B-but I don't want—"

Trixie's horn blazed a hairsbreadth from his snout, and he clamped his mouth shut fearfully. The unicorn glowered at him. "I don't _care_ what you—" She stopped suddenly, looking thoughtful. "Hm. Really, Midnight? You don't want to? Fair enough, then." The unicorn stepped away from Midnight, the glow around her horn vanishing. She turned her back to him. "Fine, then. If you want to leave, then leave."

Slowly, Midnight got to his feet, nursing his chest. For a moment he looked as though he were about to leave, but hesitated, staring at Trixie's back.

Trixie barely glanced over her shoulder at him. "Still there, Midnight?"

The dragon's eyes lowered to the ground dejectedly.

With a sigh of satisfaction, Trixie turned around and trotted back to his side. He flinched, but he made no move to leave. "And why is that, Midnight?" Trixie asked, her voice as smooth as a kitten's fur. "What do I have that you want?"

Midnight sniffled suddenly. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?" Trixie's smile held the sweetness of poisoned honey.

"Th' birds told you where my mom is," Midnight whispered.

"Exactly, Midnight. And she misses you terribly, I'm sure. But only I know where she is, and if you help me, I'll take you to her. But only if you help me, and you never, _ever_ leave my side. Are we in agreement?"

Tears leaked from Midnight's eyes as he nodded. A patch of scales on his chest were beginning to darken into a hoof-shaped bruise.

"Oh, you poor thing," Trixie cooed. Her horn glowed, and the mark disappeared.

Midnight cautiously touched the spot on his chest and winced. "It still hurts, miss."

"Well, of course it does, Midnight. It's only an illusion, after all. Now come along." Trixie turned and began trotting down the street. "The pony I'm looking for lives at the Ponyville library. Let's pay her a visit, shall we?"

Wiping his tears, biting his lip to keep from crying again, the little dragon followed her.


End file.
